The Round Church in Cambridge is one of only four
surviving medieval round
churches in England (Holy Sepulchre in
Northampton,
Temple Church in London and Little
Maplestead
in Essex are the others, plus if you must the Chapel at
Ludlow Castle). These round churches are
generally
considered to be connected to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem.

The church in Cambridge, which is perhaps the easiest
to see the original
shape of, dates to 1114 and 1130 when it was founded by a
"Confraternity
of the Holy Sepulchre" on land given by Ramsey
Abbey. By 1130 it was being run by the Austin Friars of the nearby
Hospital
of St. John (now St. John's College).

A tower was added in the 15th Century which must have
looked very odd against
the round nave (although perhaps a little like Holy Sepulchre in
Northampton).
By the 1840s the church was in a very sorry state; the tower was
collapsing,
the roofs were falling in and it looked in danger of being removed for
a
road junction.

Thankfully the Camden Society stepped in and rebuilding
work was undertaken.
They removed the collapsing tower and added a rounded clerestory, they
also
added the slightly exaggerated pointy roofs. Although there is some
controversy
over their work they restored it to something much more like its
original
state and without their work we would be down to just three surviving
round
churches - so for that we can only be thankful.